


Been a Long Time Coming (Since I've Seen Your Face)

by trxtr



Series: Bad Things Happen Bingo (Lone Star) [4]
Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Broadway, Broadway References, Car Accidents, Christmas Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt Carlos Reyes, Hurt TK Strand, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Snow, Whump, Worried Carlos Reyes (9-1-1 Lone Star), Worried Owen Strand, Worried TK Strand
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:46:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,581
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28281891
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trxtr/pseuds/trxtr
Summary: “You were raised on seventy degree winters and brisket for holiday dinner, Carlos. I applaud your eagerness to adjust, but I understand if you can’t wait to get back to the good ol’ Texas winter.” Tk smiled at his boyfriend.__or: An impromptu vacation to New York leaves Tk and Carlos longing for home.(tw: car wreck)
Relationships: Carlos Reyes/TK Strand, TK Strand/Owen Strand
Series: Bad Things Happen Bingo (Lone Star) [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2000908
Comments: 14
Kudos: 113





	Been a Long Time Coming (Since I've Seen Your Face)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tiniestmite](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tiniestmite/gifts).



> For Jamie, who requested “adrenaline crash.” from BTHB; I hope you really enjoy it, love.
> 
> Beta'd by [Max](https://archiveofourown.org/users/terramous/pseuds/terramousl)
> 
> May I introduce y'all to my baby Carlyle; he's one of my favorite OCs so I adapted him for this fic,bI hope y'all love him as much as I do.
> 
> This is 12DOT prompt: impromptu vacation, but make it angsty.
> 
> Title from Feel Again by OneRepublic
> 
> **TW: traumatic car wreck, brief Dear Evan Hansen spoilers.**

“I’ve never seen snow before.”

“You’re kidding.” The shock on Tk’s face was obvious to Carlos; the way his eyebrows scrunched up, revealing gentle thin lines extending from his nose, or the way his lips parted, revealing the tips of the white teeth that Carlos had made note to make sure Tk was brushing, not only minutes, before. 

To Tk, snow was a way of life.

To Carlos, snow was a treat that he never got to sink his teeth into.

“No, pack your bags, ‘Los, You're taking the week off. You’re going to New York.”

It was Carlos’s turn to mimic Tk’s expression, drawing a sharp breath into his lungs. He and Tk had toyed with the idea of visiting New York; going sight seeing, going to get pizza and eating at every single dinky diner on every single street corner that Tk had fond memories of, but the idea was always shot down by the reality of work. They never had time off to do so, and even if they did, Carlos always worried about the other; how he would handle it, being back in New York after everything that happened. Tk was strong, and fearless and spiteful, but Carlos could still pick up on the tiny tells that always shoved his mind back into it’s angry chamber of doubt.

But Tk seemed so excited, and both of them had been working extra hours, lately, so what was the problem with taking a few days to go down memory lane with the man he loved most?

The answer? Nothing. Nothing seemed wrong with it  _ at the time. _

“You’re being serious?” Carlos said, removing his fingers from Tk’s hair and placing his fingertips on his cheek. “I don't know about New York, T.”

“This is about  _ more  _ than New York, Babe,” Tk shrugged, shoving his chin into Carlos’s palm. “This is about the fact that you’re 26 and you’ve never seen snow before.”

Carlos let his fingers curl around Tk’s head of hair once more, gently tugging at the strands while he massaged his scalp. Tk hummed. So did Carlos. “We could go anywhere to see snow, Love.”

“You’ll love it there, ‘Los. I know you will.”

“I’m not worried about me, Tk.”

Tk sucked in a sharp breath, eyes darting away from his boyfriend. He almost rolled off his lap and onto the floor, but Carlos caught him and pulled him up to sit next to him. “You know I didn't mean it like that, T.”

“Then what did you mean?” Tk sighed, turning to Carlos with the slightest bit of remorse. “It's been a year and a half, ‘Los. I just want you to see a couple snowflakes in a place that at least one of us can navigate.”

Carlos let out a sigh, nodding. “Okay,” He whispered. “Okay. I’ll text work; we can go.”

“Really?” Tk perked up as soon as Carlos said it. “You mean we can actually go?”

“You miss it, and I need to see what the big deal about snow is, so yeah.”

Tk let his lips be pulled up into a gentle smile. He maneuvered himself to lay his head on Carlos’s lap. He gazed up at the other, reaching his hands up to wrap around his neck, and Carlos took the opportunity to snake his hands around Tk’s torso and bring him up for a kiss.

It was gentle; sweet; something that both of them had craved a long while before meeting each other. Tk’s kisses felt good against Carlos’s lips, like he was born to kiss him; sculpted perfectly to fit into his embrace.

It’s moments like these where Carlos wonders why hes always got to keep his eyes closed while their lips are locked. Why can’t he enjoy the beauty in front of him; kiss him a little deeper, just to hear tk suck in a deep breath; watch his eyelashes flutter every time he blinks, even with his eyes shut.

It’s moments like these where Carlos doesn’t hesitate to kiss a little deeper; kiss his boyfriend like his life depended on it.

Tk brought himself up to be chest to chest with Carlos, hands roaming down his back, fingers tugging at the hem of his shirt. “I like this one.”

“My shirt?”

“Yeah. Remember to pack it tomorrow.” Tk looked up at him, sincerity flooding his irises. He pulled his hand from behind his neck to cup his cheek. He brushed his thumb over the other’s lips, smiling. “If we have time to wash it.”

“What's that supposed to mean?”

Tk grinned, using his thumb to press Carlos’s bottom lip outwards, before nipping at it, He hummed in satisfaction when Carlos leaned in. He moved his hand back around his neck and pulled himself to sit on his lap.

Carlos broke off once more with a hungry, soft huff. “We should go upstairs, T.”

Tk shook his head, burying his head in his shoulder. “Whatever you want, ‘Los.”

——

“It is so cold, Tk, oh my God.”

Carlos’s teeth were chattering as they stepped out of their AirBnB across the Hudson. Technically, they were in New Jersey, but how was Carlos supposed to see the beautiful skyline if he was part of it, himself?

Carlos heard his boyfriend let out a husky laugh, before he felt arms around his waist. He felt Tk’s weight press into his back as the other brushed his nose against his neck. He rubbed up and down the front of Carlos’s coat, using one hand to steady himself. “Better?”

Carlos sighed, leaning back into the touch. He could feel Tk’s breath on his ear, whispering gentle sweet nothings, so quietly, almost to himself, but Carlos caught a few syllables here and there, and strung them together. “You know, after three days I should get used to this.”

“You were raised on seventy degree winters and brisket for holiday dinner, Carlos. I applaud your eagerness to adjust, but I understand if you can’t wait to get back to the good ol’ Texas winter.” Tk smiled at his boyfriend, soon backing away from him so he could circle around to Carlos’s front and take his hand. “Since it’s our last day here, and I’ve already shown you most everything, is there something you want to do? My mom is in town, maybe we could score seats to a show?”   
  


Carlos thought for a moment, his bottom lip sticking out before a wash of understanding and realization flooded his features. “Your mom?”

Tk’s eyes widened. “Oh, no,” He shook his head, grabbing Carlos’s cheeks in his hands. “No, Baby, she doesn't know that I’m around. You don't have to meet her if you're not ready for that. I agreed to take it your pace. However fast or slow. I intend to keep that promise.”

Carlos sighed in relief, leaning forward to bury his head in his shoulder. He let Tk drape his arm around his waist, turning him around so they could head down to the bus stop. “I hope you don’t mind; busing from place to place. It's a lot easier with the bus terminals here, and the fact that its really easy to get lost, or stuck in the wrong part of town—”

“You’ve apologized for busing fourteen times in the past four days, Baby. I promise it’s okay. It allows for some good not-so-alone time.”

“So what do you want to do today?”

Carlos shrugged, looking at Tk. “Would it be cheesy to say I just want to spend time with you? Like, you could take me to every hotdog stand on every corner and we could rate them, or maybe head to Ripley’s Believe It Or Not?”

“Carlos, no one goes to New York City for Ripley’s,” Tk scoffed, eyes trailing over Carlos’s trembling frame. He leaned over, placing his hooded head against the other’s shoulder.

“So they come for the hotdog stands?”

“No, most come for Broadway.”

Carlos almost laughed at the insinuation. He knew Tk was going to try and drag him along to at least one musical, and Carlos had found ways to slither out of the idea. Carlos wasn’t one for live theatre. He would watch recorded plays and musicals, but there was something about the spontaneity with live shows that left Carlos with an uneasy feeling. “Tk, we are not going to see Dear Evan Hansen.”

“ _ Come on, _ ” Tk whined. “It’s a basic, beautiful show. You’ll love it.”

“Isn’t it kinda about an anxious suicidal kid who makes friends with another kid after he dies?”

“It’s so much more than that,” Tk droned. “And he didn't make friends with him after he died, he pretended to be his friend after he died so he could get on the family’s good side.”

“You’re digging yourself into a hole, here.”

“Please?” Tk pouted.

“How many times have you even seen it?”

“That’s besides the point. The point is I know you have seen Hamilton and Mean Girls, and I know you're not exactly interested in Waitress, and frankly I feel like the Once On This Island revival will make you uncomfy—”

“What and a manipulative sad boy won't? Wait,” Carlos thought for a moment. “Why would the Once On This Island Revival make me uncomfy?”

“You’re used to the original. It is  _ not _ the original. And, yeah, Dear Evan Hansen Might make you uncomfy but in a thought provoking way. Like you’ll think about it for years to come; the impact of social media on society; the toxicity of fame— It’s a gut-check, Carlos”

“You did theatre in high school, didn’t you?”

“That is not important.” Tk looked up at Carlos, his lip quivering in the slightest pout, just enough to make Carlos cave.

“Fine, we’ll see it, but I demand we go to Ripley’s after.”

Tk jumped up and clapped his hands, nearly slipping on the ice when his feet came down. Carlos was quick to react, though, catching him mid-fall in his arms, leaving Tk staring back up at him with a flushed smile. He reached up to his boyfriend, letting out a gentle sigh. “How did I get so lucky with you, Carlos Reyes? Hm?” Tk found his footing once more, and he stood to kiss the other’s nose.

“I ask myself that every day, my love.”

Tk snickered and shoved Carlos’s shoulder, smiling gently. “You’re such an ass. Come on. If we go now we could probably get tickets to a matinee; we’ll be out in time for Ripley’s.”

“Lead the way, then.”

Tk perked up, took his hand, and led them to a bus stop. “You’re really gonna like it, Carlos. I promise.”

——

Walking out of the Music Box theatre, Carlos never held Tk’s hand tighter. He was crying; crying hard, which stung his cheeks when the bite of the snowy, New York air made its presence known on his face. He was looking at Tk, too caught up in the events of the show they just watched to realize the snow had started to come down a lot faster, now. 

“You okay?” Carlos felt gentle, gloved fingers brush the teardrops from his cheek.

“You were right. That was incredible, Tk.”

“Then those are tears of joy?” Tk quizzed, ushering Carlos away from the stage door. If they needed autographs, they would get them later, when the cast stage doored for the evening crowd. Right now, his priority was Carlos. He held up his hand, hailing a cab unusually quickly in New York, and managed to shove Carlos inside before he followed.

“I guess they are, I mean—” Carlos took a breath, still clutching onto Tk’s hand. “I just… you know you can talk to me, right, babe?”

“And you know that I’m not Evan. Not anymore.” Tk reached up to brush a couple stray tears from his cheeks.

“But you used to be?”

Tk sighed, shaking his head with a little smile. “I, uh, guess so,” He whispered. “That’s why I fell in love with the show. Everything closing in around me… It was nice to know that at least someone got it. I was never as manipulative as he was, even on accident. I just… found solace in the story of a lonely, panicky kid who tried to make things alright for himself, because he was all he had.”

Carlos sighed, a pang of guilt forming in his chest. He felt himself taking on responsibility for something he didn’t need to, but every time he thought about it, he kept thinking he could have changed something; could have been there, even before he met the other. “Remind me to give your dad a hug when we get home?”

Tk chuckled lightly at that. “I don't think I’ll have to remind you, but I will, babe.”

They both found themselves staring at the snowfall outside, bad enough to make even Tk grow uneasy. “It must be a blizzard,” he remarked, trying to keep the conversation light.

“It sure looks like it,” Carlos sniffed. “You sure you want to be out late in this?”

“That’s up to you, baby not me,” Tk replied. He grabbed onto Carlos’s hand, gently stroking circles on his knuckles. He smiled when he looked at the other, the desire to be closer becoming so heavy that Carlos unbuckled his seatbelt to lean over and lay on Tk’s lap. 

“You know you’re the most beautiful thing on the planet?”

“Are you just being a sap because I was a sad teenager?” Tk shot back. He still tangled his fingers in Carlos’s hair, nonetheless. He leaned down, kissing his forehead. “C’mon, baby, get up. We’re in a taxi.”

With a tiny groan, Carlos sat up, but moved closer to Tk anyway, eyes gleaming with a desire that Tk recognized all too well. Carlos just wanted to hold him, and cuddle him and tell him how much he loved him, and Tk was totally down for backseat cuddles.

But as soon as Tk’s arms wrapped around Carlos, there was a loud horn, then the sound of metal slamming into metal, and all Tk could see was two headlights, staring him down, advancing closer and closer until his ears were filled with a loud crash, and he felt himself flying, Carlos being torn from his grip.

——

He came to in pieces.

It was the loud ringing in his ears that first pulled him back towards consciousness, first, followed by the pounding in his head, and the pain blooming around every inch of his right side. It was then the recollection; the moments just before, in which Carlos had cried, and got all sappy and close… The blizzard.

That’s why he’s been so cold.

Tk tore his eyes open as soon as he found the strength, looking around, trying to find himself a way out of the situation that he had managed to get himself into. It was cold, and it was almost dark at this point, and all Tk could register was that he was upside down, and if he let his neck crane upwards; looking towards the ground, he could see Carlos laying on the roof of the taxi, breathing shallow, arm stuck in a death grip with on of the hinges on the passenger seat.

“Carlos?”

“Tk?”

_ Oh, thank God. _

“Are you okay, baby?” Doing a once-over on him from where he was sitting—well, hanging, Tk established that Carlos was not, in fact, in good shape. His arm was held at an unnatural angle, and even through Carlos’s coat, he could see blood coating his abdomen. Carlos was holding onto the door handle with the other hand, trying to keep it open, in case anyone would bother to get to them.

“I called for help.”

_ He’s averting the question. _

“Good. That's good, just… don’t move, okay?”

“Can’t,” Carlos whispered. “There's… metal… from the seat rails. It broke off. Every time I move, I— _ ah! _ ”

Tk flinched at the sound of pain the other made. They truly were in a predicament, but Tk couldn’t worry about himself right now. He had to worry about Carlos. Tk found himself unbuckling the seatbelt before he knew what he was doing, miraculously gathering his footing before he fell on top of Carlos. He managed to Crawl out the door, then turn back to look inside. “Okay, baby, it’s okay. I need you to tell me where it hurts.”

“My back,” Carlos answered.

“Where?”

“The.. the left side, I don’t know where. All of it.”

“Is it okay if I lift your shirt, Carlos?” Tk whispered, slowly unzipping his jacket. 

“I thought you weren’t into PDA,” Carlos joked, which should have made Tk feel better, except Carlos was in pain; like, actual pain, crying, shallow breaths and Tk had no extraction equipment, or any equipment at all, for that matter.

But he wasn’t going to let Carlos know how scared he was. 

“I’m more into PDMA, you know? Public Displays of Medical Assistance.”

Carlos wanted to laugh at him. Tk could tell. He saw the grin on the other’s face, but it was soon overshadowed by another pained whimper, and a grimace. 

“Hey, love. You’re okay. I promise you’re okay.” He said softly. He leaned down, placing a gentle,desperate kiss to his forehead. “I’m gonna lift your shirt, okay? See what we are working with.” Tk gently lifted the other’s shirt, breath catching in his throat when he saw the large piece of seat rail sticking from his abdomen. It was bleeding, heavily, but it wasn't nearly as bad as he anticipated in the blood department. “Okay, okay, it’s looking like it's starting to clot. That’s good, ‘Los,” he added when when saw the other’s panic. “Carlos can you tell me if it hurts to breathe?”

“A little.”

Tk cursed under his breath, a little, watching the other struggle, just a little bit. “Okay, okay, baby, just tell me if it winds up getting any worse, okay? I’m gonna see if I can call for help.”

“What about the driver?” Carlos whispered.

Tk looked from his boyfriend to the drivers seat of the car, to where the driver sat, unmoving, bleeding from his mouth and a wound in his neck. He sighed. “I don’t think he made it, ‘Los.”

Carlos let out a tiny whine, this time a little more labored. “What about you?”

“Don’t worry about me, baby. Just focus on breathing.” Tk placed his hand in front of Carlos’s mouth, just to gauge his breathing, but when he did, he heard the wheezing begin to take over. “Hey, hey, ‘Los, you're okay.”

But there was this look in Carlos’s eyes that Tk couldn't ignore, even as he felt for his pulse—fast, thready, Tk observed— even as he gripped onto Carlos’s hand in an attempt to ground him. Tk knew that look. He had seen it so many times from victims on calls.

Carlos was scared.

“Are you with me, ‘Los?”

“I can’t… I can’t breathe.”

Tk clenched his jaw, eyes scanning over Carlos and the wound on his abdomen. His heart was racing; his head pounding, but all he could focus on was his love’s eyes and shallow breaths that grew shorter and shallower. He wasn’t sure how long he could deal with this. He needed equipment. He needed an ambu bag and something to breathe for carlos because breathing on his own at this point just wasn't enough.

“Just… Just focus on breathing. I know it hurts, just… keep your eyes on me.”

“What’s happening?” Carlos whimpered, his good hand gripping onto Tk’s like a lifeline. He was staring up at him, horrified gasps attempting to crawl their way into his lungs, but it wasn’t happening. The air wasn’t going through, and Tk didn’t want to consider the fact that this was what he knew this was.

“I think it’s… I think it’s a tension pneumothorax,” Tk murmured, using his other hand to feel over Carlos’s left side. “I… it means you’ve got a hole in your lung, baby. All the air you’re trying to breathe is getting stuck in your chest and compressing your lung.”

“That’s… Thats supposed to make me feel better?”

“I don’t know,” Tk yelped, trying his best to keep his tears at bay. “I just… you should know what’s happening to you. You asked what was happening— wait, hey, Carlos! Hey, don’t go to sleep on me just yet, okay? I need you to stay awake—”

“Is anyone in there?”

Tk’s head snapped up to glance out the window of the car, only to see firetrucks and ambulances parked across about five lanes of pileup, and a few firefighters and EMT’s hopping the cars to reach them.

Tk breathed out a tiny, short lived sigh of relief. “Yes! Help, please, my boyfriend! He—”

“Tk?”

Tk was too focused on staying within Carlos’s field of vision to look up nat the person who said his name. He didn’t even have to think to recognize the voice. 

“Oh my god, Lyle, you gotta help me—”

Carlyle Moretti was the 252’s first probie after Tk. He was placed at the firehouse when he was nineteen and Tk was twenty, which, to Tk meant that Lyle was practically his baby brother. The other was a gifted field medic; an even better firefighter (which, according to Tk, was the only difference the two shared). They did everything together. Owen would always put them on calls as a buddy system; they were never not each other’s partner.

Lyle was the only thing that Tk wasn’t sure about leaving in New York. They still talked, and texted and facetimed, but it wasn’t the same. They were so in each other’s faces all the time as crewmates, now it was almost impossible to have that overbearing brotherly bond, especially over the phone.

“Tk, Tk, hey,” Lyle’s head popped into view next to him, sending a wave of nostalgia through Tk that he promptly ignored. He was too focused, right now, holding onto Carlos’s face, trying to keep his eyes open even if they managed to close within the past twenty seconds. “You need to go get checked out. I’ve got this—”

“I am _ not leaving _ him.” Tk’s head snapped up almost too quickly, and he caught a glimpse of his pale reflection in a shard of broken glass. There was a huge gash just below his ear, but he was numb to it. He was numb to everything but the horror coursing through his veins at the sight of his unconscious boyfriend. “He said he couldn't breathe… It’s, uhm, it’s an impalement. I’m pretty positive the rail got his spleen, and his lung, and he couldn't breathe so I was just trying to keep him awake until help got here and now you're here and he’s not awake and I don’t think he’s breathing either—”

“Okay, okay, that’s good. You’ve done your job, but you need to get out of the way and get checked out and let me do mine.”

Tk let out a yelp of pain when Carlyle tried to nudge him out of the Car door. His eyes betrayed his confusion, but Tk soon shook his head. He didn’t need Lyle worrying about him while Carlos was there, and he wasn’t breathing and—

“Tk?”

“Hm?”

“I asked if you thought you could get over the pileup? You're looking a little pale.”

Tk’ looked at Lyle, but stayed still, even after Lyle was out of his field of vision, assisting EMS with placing a tube down Carlos’s throat. He was just… there, floating, listening to his head pound, thinking about the love of his life, sitting in that Car, a tube stuck in his throat, another in his chest, filtering out the air so he could breathe a little easier.

He needed him.

He needed him so bad that he couldn’t think about anything else. He couldn't think about the flashes of white in his vision, or the sounds of the city getting morphed and jumbled into an angry mishmash of horns and voices and crying. He could only think about Carlos.

How at this point he was being lifted onto a stretcher.

How at this point Tk was up, by his side.

How at this point Carlos was coming to, and the only thing Tk wanted him to feel was his hand in his.

But he saw the panic set in, and Carlos’s eyes widen as he started to panic and thrash and cry out and cough, demanding to know where his beloved Tk was, most likely injuring himself more in the process.

“Mister Reyes, you need to calm down!”

“Tk!” The cry was a soft gurgle devoid of decipherable syllables, but Tk understood.

“I’m right here, Baby,” Tk slurred. He squeezed his hand, briefly, doing everything in his power not to lean over and kiss him; tear the oxygen mask off and just… let him know that he was there; that he was trying.

But Carlos saw him, anyway, and the panic subsided into gentle sobs as their eyes met.

“I love you,” Tk whispered.

He was beginning to feel the side effects of the car wreck fully, now. The adrenaline was wearing off, leaving Tk to pinpoint just about every place where his body had been damaged. He wouldn’t say anything, though, not until they had cleared through the pileup.

By which time, Tk was stumbling over his feet; fumbling over his words. His body was giving out. His eyes wouldn't focus, and for the first time since the initial accident, Tk let himself start to worry about himself.

“Lyle,” He tried, tugging on his friend’s turnout coat, to which the other snapped his head back.

“Tk? You good?”

Tk opened his mouth to reply, but the words were fuzzy; unfocused, just like his vision. Everything was so bright, yet so dark, all at once… he couldn't explain what he was feeling. “Lyle, I don’t… I don’t feel so good,” he whispered.

And the only thing that assured him that his friend heard what he was saying was the pair of arms that managed to grab him before he hit the ground.

——

Upon waking up, Carlos was afraid.

He expected to be in a recovery room, probably with a mended wrist and a bandage across his abdomen, but instead, he was still staring up into a gray, snowy sky. The same sky that he had seen not moments before, walking out of the Music Box with his boyfriend.

_ Wait, where’s my boyfriend? _

Carlos nearly shot up in panic, forgetting every injury that he had, just for that moment, because he  _ needed  _ Tk. He couldn't think about himself when the other still may be stuck in that car.

But he couldn’t form words. He couldn’t speak, because there was something in his mouth, and when he reached for it, he felt his hands get pinned back down at his sides.

“You need to calm down, Mr. Reyes!”

“Tk!” He tried, but the ambu bag obscured his vision, and the tube in his throat nearly made every syllable indecipherable.

But then he felt a gentle squeeze on his hand.

“I’m right here, Baby.”

Carlos managed to look up, gaze tracing Tk’s features, trying to commit them to memory. There was blood near his ear, and he could see it running down the back of his neck when he turned his head to talk to another one of the firefighters. His eyes were drooping, and even when Tk whispered, he mumbled.

Carlos couldn't shake the feeling that his boyfriend should be on an identical stretcher to his, but as long as Tk was here… as long as he was holding his hand, Carlos couldn't care less.

He tried to smile at the other, and Tk tried to match his expression, but it was short lived. Carlos could see the moment when Tk’s face flushed, when he yanked on the young firefighter’s sleeve.

It was one fleeting moment in between hope and fear. A moment where stillness overtook the solace, and then everything started moving backwards.

Carlos sat up when he saw Tk go down, surprised he had the strength to move at all, but when Tk was in danger, everything else seemed to melt away. Half of the crew from around his stretcher dropped by Tk’s side, the other half trying to keep Carlos still, because he had forgotten about the large chunk of metal nestled deep within his abdomen. 

He wanted to scream, and cry, and sprint off the stretcher, out of the ambulance and scoop up his boyfriend, but there was so much going on, so many people around him, trying to keep him calm that it felt like nothing was real; this was all just some bad dream that he could wake up and forget.

It wasn’t, though, because he felt too much.

He tried to listen in on the medics surrounding his boyfriend, calling out random orders, shoving Tk in a c spine collar. He could only make out bits and pieces, though.

“Pupils are blown; No sign of internal bleeding—”

Carlos was back to not breathing.

“You think this could be trauma related?”

He wasn’t thinking.

He was stuck, listening, watching as Tk was loaded onto a similar stretcher, but shoved past him into the same ambulance.

Carlos couldn’t handle this. He was panicking, his mind going back to that dreaded hallway, where ge could have lost Tk before he even had him, and now that he did, he was losing him again.

He couldn't lose him again.

“Mr. Reyes, Take a breath!”

_ Just take a breath, Tiger. _

“Tk—” Again, his sound was cut off by the tube in his throat, and an EMT giving him an incredulous warning look.

“You’ll never be able to help him if you don’t take care of yourself,” She warned. 

But Carlos wasn’t going to have it. He craned his neck to stare at the other man, laying next to him, with a similar setup, except the firefighter from before; the one who Tk tugged on, looked so afraid; more than he was for Carlos when he woke up.

Carlos couldn’t watch them stand there and do nothing. The medics were just standing there; all of them, just watching, and the firefighter from before wasn’t leaving. Why wasn’t he leaving? He had a job to do, why wasn’t he—”

“Mr. Reyes, I am going to administer a sedative.”

_ What? Wait, no. No, you can’t, it’s Tk! He’s right there and you're just watching him and theres a strange firefighter next to him and he’s not helping but he should be helping… why isn't he helping? No! Nol, don’t sedate me! Don’t! Please, I need him, please— _

Carlos couldn’t keep his eyes open any longer. Not with the weight of the sedative, and the gentle lull of the tires against the pavement beneath him, and the ever so soft, yet urgent sounds of the EMTs mumbling into their radios.

_ “Patients are Carlos Reyes, 26 year old latino male, chest impalement, and 27 year old Tyler Strand, temporal fracture, likely epidural hematoma. ETA two minutes.” _

——

Carlos wished he could remember anything upon waking up, but the moment the hospital lights flooded his eyes; new and unfamiliar, he had to dig deep to remember anything that had happened to put him up there. It came in pieces; bits and pieces, the pain in his back, the horrified look on Tk’s face; the panic in the ambulance; that all came quickly, but the rest was all a blur.

“So, you must be Carlos, huh?”

Carlos turned his face towards two figures, one being a woman; slender, reserved, long, black hair, the other being a young man, around the same age as Tk, but a little thinner in stature.

Carlos recognized him as the firefighter from on scene, but he didn’t know who the woman was.

“I am,” He croaked, suddenly aware of how dry his throat was. He swallowed, instinctively, tilting his head when he realized that he wasn’t the only patient in this room.

In between himself and the two figures was a hospital bed, and in that bed was a very exhausted looking, sleeping Tk. He had bandages around his head; his eyes were closed, and Carlos swore he could see the tiniest bit of pain on Tk’s expression.

“Oh my god,” He whimpered. His throat was still dry, but he could feel igt expanding and closing with ease at every single breath he took. He could feel himself starting to panic, and he didn’t quite know how to stop it, not even when the machines around him begun to scream louder than his mind; not even when there are doctors and nurses sprinting in; not even when he hears a familiar voice try to coax him off the edge of panic.

“Carlos, Buddy, you have to breathe for me, alright?”

“Captain… Captain Strand?” Carlos gasped, gripping onto his bed railing with his good hand. “We’re… we’re still in New York, why are you—”

“I got a call letting me know you two were in an accident and you think I didn't hop in a flight as soon as I could?”

“An accident?”

Carlos saw Owen grimace, before the man turned back to the two people in the chair by Tk’s bed. “Yeah, Carlos. You and Tk were in a Taxi, some nitwit was racing through the city at 85; hit you and Tk first, caused a seventeen car pileup on 45th.”

“But we were fine, We were just… and then it started snowing, and—”

“These things can happen so fast, Kid. You couldn't have done anything to prevent it, okay? Stupid people do stupid things, and bad things happen,” he sighed, sitting down next to the woman and instinctively leaning into her.

Carlos watched as she leaned back on Owen, and he blinked.

_ Oh, shit, Gwyneth. _

“How is he?” He whimpered, to which neither of the parents answered, but the boy in the seat away from them. 

“There was a lot of damage,” He muttered, unable to look Carlos in the eye. “Major head trauma; he fractured his skull, his brain started bleeding. He was looking better when we got here initially, but—”

“Lyle, why don’t you get Carlos something to drink?” Owen asked, sensing the tension only building between the lanky firefighter and Carlos.

“Oh, of course, Cap, yeah.”

Once he was out of the room, Owen looked over at Carlos. He wore a sad smile, and his hand, at this point, was desperately holding onto his son's. “You don’t have to worry about him.” He gestured to the door. “Lyle and Tk are nothing more than hard-headed brothers.”

“Who is he?”

“Tk’s first real friend at the 252 besides me,” Owen shrugged, pursing his lips. “From the moment they met they were practically attached at the hip. Yeah, when that whole thing happened here, Lyle was pretty shaken up; freaked out, and whenever we dropped the bomb that we were moving to Austin, kid kind just… closed off for a little bit.” Owen took his other hand and ran it over his face, letting out a soft groan. “He saved your life, you know?”

“Hm?”

“According to him, Tk kept you talking enough for Lyle to get there and take over. Both of them… they saved your life, Carlos.”

“What about Tk?” Carlos finally asked, earning a sad look from bot Owen and Gwen.

“They’re waiting on the swelling in his brain to go down, then they’ll ween him off the sedative.”

Carlos felt the world around him come to an angry halt, forcing him to lean back and take a labored breath. He knew what that meant. He could practically taste the word on his tongue, but it took so much for him to say it that as soon as he did, he felt exhaustion creep back in. “He’s in a coma?”

“Medically induced,” Owen clarified, as if it was the most important thing in the world to him.

Because, well, it was.

Carlos knew the thought of Tk in a coma that wasn't by the hands of medical professionals likely represented the death of the other. He got it.

What he did not understand was why this was happening again. What deranged mastermind looked down on them; he and his beautiful, excited boyfriend, and decided to ruin their lives again? In what world was that fair?

“I…” Carlos began, but he couldn't find it in him to continue the sentence. Instead, he let out the first sob in a long line of them, leaning his head against the pillow, apologizing into thin air for something that wasn’t his fault.

——

Carlos waited fifteen days to see those beautiful green eyes again.

He was discharged after four days in the hospital, and spent the remaining eleven sat on the floor, getting to know Tk’s parents more than he really ever thought he should. He learned that Owen was a college bowling champ; that Gwen was a talented dancer before she took up law. He learned that the two loved their son more than words could ever express; that they were more broken up about this than they let on. Between snuck glances on sleeping couches, and angry, whispered curses to any god above, Carlos knew they were grieving in their own way.

But the most important thing Carlos learned about the two was on day fifteen, when their son finally opened his eyes, just for a couple moments, and they yanked Carlos to his feet to stand next to him, mumbling,  _ “Next time he wakes up, you’re gonna be the first thing on his mind. You need to be the first thing he sees.” _

Carlos learned that they were willing to do anything to keep their son happy, including taking a side-line seat to an event that they had been anticipating since the beginning of December.

And on December 24th, 4:57PM, Carlos finally let himself breathe again.

“Hola, Querido,” Carlos whispered, his hand gently rubbing against Tk’s scalp. “How are you feeling?”

Tk looked around for a moment, then up at his boyfriend with a nervous look in his eyes. “What day is it, ‘Los?”

“It’s Christmas Eve, Amor.”

Tk closed his eyes, one hand reaching up to grab at Carlos’s, halfway desperate to hold onto him. Carlos helped, though, bringing his hand from his hair, down to his cheek, where Tk placed his over Carlos’s. “Weren’t we supposed to do christmas with your family this year?”

“They already know everything, okay? You don’t have to worry.” Carlos smiled, leaning down to pepper his forehead with kisses. “Your mom and dad are getting some food, but they are going to be back, soon, okay?”

“You met my mom?”

Carlos felt himself blush the slightest bit, his cheeks heating up as he smiled. “Yeah, Lovely, I did.” He gently squeezed Tk’s cheek, causing the other to let out a strained laugh.

“I missed you,” He said softly. 

“I missed you, too, Baby, so much.”

Carlos took a deep breath, his lips connecting with Tk’s forehead once more. He could stay like that, forever, hovering over Tk, sheltering him from the world, keeping him safe while the other healed. He needed this. He’d been waiting for this since the two were scooped away into the ambulance.

He was safe.

“Hey, Tk?”

“Hm?”

“I don't think I ever wanna see snow again.”

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Comments and Kudos are greatly appreciated! I love hearing from y'all.
> 
> [tumblr](https://trkstrnd.tumblr.com)


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